This invention relates to apparatus for recovering materials floating on a body of water, and to a barge for carrying such apparatus.
1. Field of the Invention
Apparatus of the type described is useful in collecting floating material that would otherwise pollute a body of water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known apparatus of the type described include suction equipment, bucket-conveyors, paddle pumps, etc. Each of these devices includes a recovery opening which is slightly submerged and connected to an elevator conveyor for carrying the collected material to an evacuation drain from which the materials can be emptied into a settling or storage tank carried by a barge. In order to permit operation near shore, the barge must have a shallow draft.
In order to function best, apparatus for recovering floating material should create a current which tends to draw the floating material towards the recovery opening whose depth of submersion should vary only sightly around a predetermined optimum value during the entire time that the settling tank in a barge is being loaded with the floating material. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for recovering floating material and a barge carrying the same which functions in the manner described above.